The Guard
by Dr Crazy Glasses
Summary: A conference has been called between the nine major allied nations. Halt, Gilan, Will and Horace accompany their king to the far off land of Viridian. Many rumours surround this small nation. Who are the Guard? And are they as fearsome as they say? This is my first try, so constructive criticism would be appreciated
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Ranger's Apprentice, the series that I bow down to for it's awesomeness**

The bandit leader looked up from his roughly drawn map

"The town should be some where round here." He said, "Start looking." The thirty rough-looking men started gazing around the forest. The ancient trees were as wide as houses and far taller. The forest floor was carpeted in small wildflowers and grass. There was no sign of habitation.

"Are you sure?" one of the men asked tentatively. Their leader wasn't known for his even temper and if they'd come this far for nothing…

"Of course I'm sure!"

"He's right." The newest addition to the band, Jermino a former huntsman, touched the trees thoughtfully "They're up there." He pointed up to the canopy, far, far above. The others all squinted upwards. Just visible, seeming to shimmer like an illusion; ropes went from tree to tree. "That must be why people can't track them, they don't touch the ground often enough to make trail."

"How are we supposed to get up there?" another man whined. Jermino looked at him

"You think I brought this rope here for fun? I had an inkling this might be the case." He prepared to cast the grapnel on the end of the line.

"I wouldn't do that." The quiet voice came from behind the bandits. The all spun around. Three people stood with green capes billowing slightly. There was a uniform look about them; in the way they carried themselves. But the most unnerving things about them were their masks. They were all different, one looked like fire crawling up her face, another looked like a lion's maw. The man in the middle's mask was a wolf's head. Green eyes stared out from under it.

"Who are you?" The bandit leader demanded. The man in the middle answered him.

"We are the protectors of this country. We are the ones who will throw you out of it." He drew his sword. "This is the only warning we will give. You cannot best us. Leave."

"We are the Guard."


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Ranger's Apprentice**

"Where are we going again Halt?" Will asked his green-faced mentor, trying to get his mind off the movement of the ship. It seemed to work, because Halt glared at him

"Weren't you listening? We're escorting King Duncan to the conference of Nine Nations. Arulean, Skandia, Gallica, Iberion, Toscano, Nihon-ja, Arrida, Viridian and Sonderland are all going to be present and we're here to make sure nothing bad happens."

"There are more countries than that." Horace said, "Why aren't Hibernia or Celtica joining in? And aren't there some other countries on the mainland?"

"Your knowledge of geography and current events astounds me Horace." Halt said dryly "The Hibernian Kings are to busy fighting amongst themselves, Teutland has the same internal fighting going on, Alpina and Aslava are in the middle of a war and Celtica are to mistrustful to allow anyone of any standing to go to a foreign land. Especially one with a reputation like Viridian." Horace frowned

"What's Viridian's reputation?" he asked hesitantly, not sure if he wanted an answer. Will also look to his mentor. Viridian was far away and the things he had heard were all blown massively out of proportion. Or at least, he hoped so.

"They say that they're all Faeries." Halt snorted "And that they are guarded by the demons of the forest, terrible half-animal creatures that fly through the trees, killing all in their path." Horace went white

"And we're going there voluntarily?" He said. Halt made a calming gesture

"It's just rumours and superstition, Horace. If you want to know more, you should ask Gilan. The main reason Crowley sent him with us is the fact that he's been there before." Will and Horace looked over to where Gilan was taking quietly with the king

"I wondered why he came." Will said thoughtfully "He said it was because of his sparkling wit and personality." Halt snorted again.

"What are they talking about?" Horace asked. Gilan looked like he was explaining something to the king, who was nodding slowly.

"Probably a quick course in the customs there. I'm told they are quite different." Halt said, "You should ask him to help you too. The last thing you want is to embarrass yourself."

"What about you Halt?" Horace asked. Halt fixed him with a steely glare

"I never embarrass myself." He said flatly.


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Ranger's Apprentice**

"I don't know a lot about their customs." Gilan said apologetically "The time I was there I was more thought of as an interloper than an honoured guest." King Duncan frowned

"I heard their policy to interlopers is to throw them bodily from the country." He said. Gilan grinned

"True, but my friend is one of the founding members of the Guard and he never left my side. They couldn't do anything big without seriously offending him."

"Useful friend to have." Duncan observed. Gilan nodded

"Old sparring partner." He explained "Not that I ever beat him." He added a little ruefully.

"What is the Guard exactly? I've heard a lot of wild stories."

"They basically do as their name suggests. They guard the entire border of the country. Nobody can enter without being spotted by one of their scouts, who would assess their strength and send one of the patrols to meet them. There is only one major city and seven smaller towns which all have at least ten members of the Guard in them at a time."

"Effective." Duncan said "But are ten Guard members enough to drive away anyone?"

"You haven't seen them fight." Gilan said flatly "Two Guard members could stop a force of thirty. Ten could hold off an army whilst the populace escaped to the big city. Their system is designed that way." Duncan let out a small whistle

"And is their army like this?" he asked, imagining the chaos fighting it.

"Nope." Gilan said cheerfully "What you have to remember is that the Guard are hand picked and hand trained. They stay in their school until the prince is certain of their competency, and then are apprenticed until their mentor is confident in their abilities. And the Guard is strictly defensive."

"Well that's something." Duncan said "But don't get on their bad side?"

"Definitely not. They could just send out their army without fear of retribution. You wouldn't be able to counter attack. Speaking of the Guard, it looks like one of them is here to greet us." Gilan pointed towards the heavily wooded shore. Standing there waiting was a man in a wolf mask.


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Ranger's Apprentice**

"Greetings. You would be the Arulean party?" The man asked across the metre stretch of water. He was armed with a bow and sword, Halt noticed, and held himself in the way that said he knew how to use them. Duncan signalled to the herald standing next to him

"King Duncan of Arulean for the conference." He said loudly.

"Feel free to come ashore." The man said. There was a brief period of waiting while the sailors lowered the plank, which grated against the pebbles on the beach. The man bowed his head "Sharasan, King Duncan. Welcome to the land of the eternal forest."

"Sharasan, stranger. May the leaves of your homeland protect us all." Duncan answered also bowing. The man smiled

"And may yours not miss you for too long. My thanks for studying our culture. Know that my name is Wolfpaw, so we are strangers no more." Duncan came down of the ship and the others followed, apart from the sailors. "There is a bay where the others are mooring their ships around the headland. Tis a natural harbour where you can stay." Wolfpaw told them, before turning and walking back into the forest "If you would follow me, formalities can be carried out in the city."

"Wolfpaw!" Gilan said quickly, a grin breaking through his face as he threw back his cowl "Do you remember me?" Wolfpaw smiled, inclining his head slightly to the side in a dog-like manner

"How could I not remember the man who caused so much trouble? It is good to see you again Gilan. We should fight again sometime. But for now…" He gestured to the forest and started walking again.

"Wasn't that a little cold?" Will said quietly to Gilan as they started walking behind the king. Gilan grinned at him

"Nah, they just get nervous in the open. It's one of the main reasons the Guard are purely defensive, a lot of their fighting involves the trees. They don't like open spaces."

"Crazy." Horace muttered. There was nothing wrong with open spaces, he thought, it was small, enclosed ones that were the problem. They all stopped behind Wolfpaw, who was facing one of the huge trees. He whistled, and a rope ladder dropped down.

"Who wants to go first?" He asked smiling.

"How high is it?" Will asked curiously, testing his weight on the ladder.

"High." Wolfpaw replied, "Are you holding on?" Will nodded. Wolfpaw whistled again. The rope ladder went up the tree at surprising speed. "It is on a winch system." He told the Aruleans calmly "You should have seen the trouble I had convincing the Oberjarl to go up it." One by one they were all hoisted up into the canopy.


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Ranger's Apprentice**

Horace was the last of the Aruleans to trust the ladder. As he reached the top he saw the sturdy platform waiting and relaxed slightly. Will helped him off the ladder and he looked around him. This high in the canopy he could see the different platforms at the top of the trees. And the things spanning the gaps in between them

"Tell me we're not going across ropes." He said faintly. The guard member operating the winch looked at him.

"A child could do it." She told him flatly "Wolfpaw even made us set out hand rails, see?" Horace could see the other two ropes at chest height over the ropes now, but it didn't really reassure him. But looking at the Guard member's mask, whites and icy blues mixing to look like a blizzard, and the face beneath it he could tell he wasn't going to get any sympathy from her.

"Frost." Wolfpaw admonished as he came up onto the platform, rolling up the ladder as he spoke. "Do not be rude. They are simply not used to it yet." He smiled at Horace "Do not worry, it is easier than it looks and there are more substantial bridges in the city." Seeing he wasn't convinced, Wolfpaw stepped out onto the rope without looking down or using the handrails. He stood directly between the two platforms and bounced. Will and Horace gasped and Duncan closed his eyes, sure he would fall the long, long way down. Wolfpaw landed on one of his hands on the rope, in a one-handed handstand. He got back on his feet and turn one, two, three backward summersaults, landing perfectly on the rope each time.

"Okay, okay it's safe we get it." Gilan said quickly. "Now stop doing that before you give me a heart attack." Wolfpaw smiled

"Hurry up then. Frost, stay at the back. I'll guide the front." Wolfpaw said, walking to the other platform, about ten metres away. Will stepped out onto the ropes, clutching the guide ropes, before slowly relaxing his grip.

"Easy peasy" He called, grinning back at Horace as he reached the other platform. Halt rolled his eyes to Gilan

"Where does he come up with these ridiculous sayings?" he asked despairingly. "What does it even mean?" Gilan smiled sympathetically back at him before stepping out onto the rope himself. His hands hovered over the guide ropes the first metre, before he let them drop and continued, unconcerned.

"I was here before." He reminded the open-mouthed Will. Halt simply walked over the ropes with one hand trailing the guide rope

"Interesting system." He said to Wolfpaw "only those used to it would be able to use this route and you don't leave tracks on the ground. Means it's very difficult to find your towns. Smart." Wolfpaw nodded before calling out to Horace

"Don't look down, look at where you are going. It's just a matter of focus; believe you will not fall and you will not." Horace nodded tensely. He heard Frost mutter something in her own language behind him. He didn't know what it had been, but from her tone he could tell it was an insult. It was this more than anything that goaded him into stepping out onto the rope.

**Thank you penny dragon, for reviewing. I'm glad you liked it, it was reassuring to hear. I hope I get the characters right, they're hard to imitate! Sorry if I'm rambling. I'm just happy.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Ranger's Apprentice**

"You will get your first sight of the city around this corner." Wolfpaw said after a while. Halt peered through the leaves. Suddenly it came into view. The city was completely in the trees with wooden bridges stretching from platform to platform, which were as wide as streets. The houses were either like tree houses on a grander scale or actually inside the trees themselves.

"It's beautiful." He said.

"It's even better in the evening with the lights." Wolfpaw said softly.

"I can see where the Faery rumour came from." Duncan said, "What with all these tree roads and houses. It's like pixie land."

"Follow me." Wolfpaw said. They walked out into the city. A crowd gathered as people noticed the newcomers. Wolfpaw caught Halt's look "They're curious." He explained, "We don't get many visitors."

"No wonder." Halt muttered, remembering the route they took to get there. A few in the crowd called out greetings to Wolfpaw but the rest were silent. That was what was bothering him, Halt realised. It was the quiet and stillness of the city, it seemed… strange not hear the usual bustle. They reached the centre of the city, a massive tree with two carved doors that were wide open, showing the room within. They entered as Wolfpaw called out

"The Arulean King and his retinue for the conference."

"Thank you Wolfpaw. Will you stay with us?" The voice came from the throne opposite the doors. The man there was dressed finely, with a long necklace with an emerald key hanging from it. A symbol of office, Halt supposed. He had a ferrety kind of face and brown hair and eyes. A light build, but not a warrior. Wolfpaw bowed

"With all due respect your majesty, I must decline. The Captain said he had orders for us upon our return."

"Hmm." The king said "I do not suppose you know if he will make it for the tournament tonight?"

"I will remind him of its import, your majesty." Wolfpaw said "By your leave."

"Hmm? Oh, yes yes. Go do whatever it is that needs doing." Wolfpaw turned on his heel and left, Frost following after him. The king sighed, running his had through his hair

"They will work themselves to death the lot of them. And my son is the worst." He said ruefully "But where are my manners? I am King Ajak of the Eternal Forest. We are honored to have such esteemed guests." Whilst the protocol was carried out, Halt moved closer to Gilan

"Staring out the door isn't going to make him come back you know." He muttered out of the corner of his mouth. Gilan immediately snapped his head back to look at the two kings

"Sorry." He replied, matching his tone to Halt's "It's just, we haven't seen each other in a while and I hoped to catch up."

"You will. I expect he'll come talk to you when there are less people around. If I remember him correctly from when he visited Redmond he was quite shy." Gilan nodded, cheering up. The kings finished talking and a servant showed them to their rooms. They were a lot like the Nihon-ja style, only with much more emphasis on nature. Green was the prominent colour in every room. As the king settled in his apartment Will, Gilan, Halt and Horace were shown to theirs. It was spacious and there was a beautiful view from the window. Halt lay down on one of the low beds with a sigh of satisfaction. Everyone jumped as someone knocked on the shutters of the large window. A Guard member was perched on one of the branches outside. He was very young, fifteen at most, and his mask was that of a falcon.

"Don't you people use the door?" Halt asked from the bed. The boy smiled

"Not much." He said cheerfully "This is for you guys." He handed over a letter before jumping backwards. Horace watched him slide down the rope with disbelief.

"Not even a little afraid." He marvelled.

"They grow up doing it." Gilan reminded him. He opened the letter and scanned its contents. "Seems there's a tournament tonight which is open to our participation, that'll be interesting with all the different fighting styles. The actual meeting starts tomorrow."

"You mean we get to fight?" Horace said eagerly. Halt rolled his eyes

"That's what open to our participation means Horace." He said. Gilan ignored him

"Yes, but I'd be a little cautious Horace. I never beat Wolfpaw and Prince Hayate is his mentor, not to mention the Captain of the Guard. Even with practice blades it'll hurt." Horace smiled

"Maybe. But it'll be fun."


	7. Chapter 7

**Unfortunately, I still do not own Ranger's Apprentice**

"If all are ready then we shall begin." The herald said. The conference room was round, as many were in Viridian. There were nine thrones equal distance away around the room. In the centre an area was cleared for the fights.

"My apologies but my second son has decided to be late. If you don't mind him joining half way through then we can start without him." Ajak said with some irritation. He sat on a carved wooden throne like the rest of the monarchs. His heir sat to his right. The chair on his left was empty.

"How could we object, when he is working so hard to protect us?" The Iberion princess said with a smile. The Emperor of Nihon-ja smiled and nodded and Erak rumbled his assent.

"Then let us begin." The herald said importantly as the doors opened. A man in a black mask stood there calmly before spotting Ajak and crossing the room to kneel at his throne.

"You are late." Ajak said

"My apologies Father. Security arrangements are slightly more important than a competition." The man said quietly. Standing, he tugged off his short cape and put it down onto his chair. He bowed deeply "I am Hayate, Captain of the Guard. A thousand apologies for being delayed."

**Thanks Olivia, for reviewing. Glad you liked it. Sorry this chapter's a little short, school decided to give me even MORE tests. I now have mock GCSEs every half term. Thanks Mr Fox!**


	8. Chapter 8

Halt leaned foreward slightly to study the young man by Ajak's side. He was nothing like his older brother, who was large and muscular, but rather thin and flexible. He hadn't inherited anything from his father, with black hair and green eyes instead of brown. There was nothing to suggest he was extraordinary or that he had created a near impenetrable defensive force whilst still in his teenage years. He was drawn away from the young prince as Erak brought down a Gallican knight. He saw Ajak mutter something to Hayate, who nodded and stood up, signalling to the herald.

"Hayate challenges." The herald said. The Oberjarl grinned

"Good. I've heard a lot about you boy."

"Then I hope you will not be disappointed." Hayate replied, removing his shirt and walking to stand opposite Erak.

"Don't you need a wooden sword?" The herald asked. Hayate shook his head

"Are you saying you don't need a sword to beat me?" The Oberjarl said dangerously

"No." Hayate said. "A competent axe wielder is rare in this country. I simply wish to test my skills in hand-to-hand. I will fetch my blade if you wish it…" He trailed off.

"Well if you want a beating kid, I'm not gonna argue." Erak said. All eyes were on the match. Halt guessed they had all heard the same stories and wanted to know the truth behind them.

"When the two of you are ready." The herald said "Begin!" Erak leaped foreward, wooden axe raised over his head in a savage down-sweep that would knock the boy senseless. Except he wasn't there. Erak's axe met empty air and he spun around to face his opponent again.

"I didn't see him move." Will said softly "Did you see Hayate move?" Horace shook his head, keeping his eyes riveted on the fight. Halt thought he had seen it, just. A small flicker. But that speed… Erak struck more cautiously this time, side cuts and faints that where either dodged or ignored. Hayate's movements were smooth and flowing, each dodge moving into the next as he got the measure of his opponent, learning Erak's speed and strength with each strike dodged.

"Do stop playing with your food little brother." The brown haired prince called out into the silence. Hayate glance that way a second before resuming his focus.

"As you wish, your highness." He said stiffly. As Erak swung the axe again instead of dancing away again Hayate stepped foreward. His left hand hit a point on Erak's right arm and his right elbow jabbed into Erak's chest. The wooden axe clattered to the floor and the Oberjarl's breath left him all at once and he fell, winded. It was carried out in a split second.


	9. Chapter 9

Whispers broke out in the room as Hayate helped Erak back to his feet. Hayate stood there impassively as the Oberjarl sat down, ignoring the stares.

"Gilan." Horace whispered, "How do I join in?" Gilan looked at him in confusion, before realising what the young warrior was talking about.

"You stand up and tell the herald over there your name. I think there's a bit of a list though." Sure enough, the herald was surrounded with warriors all eager to try the strength of the prince

"They all want first hand knowledge of what Viridian is capable of." Halt muttered "We might be allies, but that doesn't stop them from wanting to know strengths and weaknesses to be exploited. It's the main reason they wanted to hold the conference in Viridian."

"There are lots of secrets here to be discovered." Will agreed

"And favours to be won." Gilan added. "If you could get the person who trained the Guard to teach a group of your warriors awhile, you would have an advantage."

"Which is, of course, the reason Ajak wanted Hayate to show off his skills. By displaying publically that he couldn't be beaten, Viridian would have a powerful bargaining chip. Clever." Halt admitted, returning his gaze to the Captain of the Guard. Horace looked from one ranger to the next

"But this is just a simple competition." He said, "There isn't even a prize." The rangers looked at him

"Horace, this isn't a good-will fight or whatever. There's no such thing. It's a way of showing off what your country has to offer as an ally." Gilan said

"But Duncan didn't bring anyone-" Horace protested, stopping when the three rangers looked at him again "Can you stop doing that?" he asked huffily "It comes across as rather condescending." Halt raised an eyebrow at the word, but deciding against being drawn into a debate about language. He hadn't forgotten Will's speech

"He brought you Horace." He said gently "And Gilan too, for what he's worth."

"Hey!"

"Yes, yes. You can use that stick of yours effectively. Now shh, it's starting."


	10. Chapter 10

"A good competition." Gilan said to Horace. They were standing just outside the conference hall, breathing in the cool night air. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, but that prince sure knew how to fight." Horace said ruefully, rubbing his shoulder "I never once looked like I was winning, and against an unarmed man too."

"Do not be too hard on yourself." The voice came from behind them. Wolfpaw stood there, smiling slightly "I have never seen anyone beat him at close combat."

"Wolfpaw." Gilan said grinning "You actually going to talk to me this time?"

"Sorry about that. With your permission?" He gestured to his mask. It took Gilan a moment to realise what he meant

"Oh yeah, sure."

"Go ahead." Said Horace. Wolfpaw removed his mask with a sigh

"That is better. I always feel more honest without my mask." He had a delicate face, almost elfish, that matched his agile build.

"Why do you wear them?" Horace asked curiously. Wolfpaw shrugged

"Tradition. Symbolism." He said "To be a member of the Guard, you must forget distractions and discriminations. New name, new face. The mask symbolises leaving everything behind in service to the country."

"Wolfpaw's not your name?" Horace asked

"No." Wolfpaw said smiling "But I am not supposed to tell people both my names. It is to prevent favours and debts clashing with our duties."

"Are you supposed to be telling us this?" Gilan asked, "I'm mean, we're not of the forest."

"True, but Hayate said I could answer some questions. It is to…uh… 'Promote good feelings between nations. People fear what they do not understand, and fear is not a good basis for and relationship.' So you want to know anything else?"

"Which member of the Guard would you least like to be enemies with?" Horace asked curiously. Wolfpaw's smile dropped.

"Snakefang." He said quickly. Gilan frowned

"Snakefang? Never heard of him."

"He is also one of the founding members. He is the shadow of the prince. You probably did not notice him, not many do." Gilan and Horace glanced back into the room. The prince was standing impassively next to his father, surrounded by people. Now that he looked for him, Gilan saw a man standing a little behind the prince. He was tall and graceful dressed in the uniform of the Guard. His mask looked like a snake curled around his eyes, covering one of them. Shadow was a good word for him. Silent and dark. He looked like an assassin. Wolfpaw nodded when he heard this.

"That is what he was until joining the Guard. Or at least, that is what people say. They say he went after Hayate's life but the prince changed his mind just by talking to him. I certainly did not ask him about it." He said. "Most are absolutely terrified of him."

"Your prince allows an assassin that close to him?" Gilan asked incredulously "One that was trying to kill him?"

"Nope." Wolfpaw said "He allows him closer. Snakefang and Hayate are inseparable. When there is one, there is the other. Many have tried to separate them, the king included, and all failed."

"B-but, why?"

"Who knows why Hayate does these things? I, for one, trust his judgement. Before he made us into the Guard we were all viewed as unsatisfactory soldiers, with the right muscle in the wrong places. It did not matter to be agile, just strong. Look at us now."

"But would you trust him?" Gilan said seriously. Wolfpaw didn't hesitate

"Yes." He saw their faces "I told you, on duty, grudges are nothing. You do anything; even give your life, to protect the people. Off the Guard I would be terrified, but he is one of us. Besides, it is unconfirmed rumour, not fact."

"Do you have a specific place that you train?" Horace asked, thinking of Arulean's Battle Schools

"Yes, there is the ordinary garrison training and there is the Guard head quarters. Tell you what, tomorrow, I'll give you a tour."

"You're sure?" Horace said in surprise. He had assumed it would be kept deadly secret.

"Yes." There was a mischievous grin on Wolfpaw's face "It should be amusing."

**Thanks Robin Flynn. Glad you liked it. **


	11. Chapter 11

"Time to get up Gilan." Horace said cheerfully. Gilan groaned and rolled over

"Why?"

"We have to go see the Guard headquarters!" Will said grinning. Gilan looked at him balefully

"There must be some law about being that cheerful this early." He decided "And I've already been, why do I have to come?"

"So you can show us round." Halt said. Gilan looked up in surprise

"You're going too Halt?" he asked. For some reason, he'd expected Halt to stay in the conference "Doesn't the king need your help?"

"Duncan will be fine." Halt said "He has had a bit of practice at this, you know."

"Yeah, but..."

"Are you going to stay in bed or get up? Need we repeat the events of your apprenticeship here?" Halt asked. Gilan sprang out of bed

"I'm up! I'm definitely up." He said quickly, backing away from Halt "Give me a moment to get fully dressed and we can go." Halt smiled evilly

"Good." Will looked from one to another

"Do I want to know?" He asked. Gilan was buckling on his sword belt and grabbing his cloak

"No." The older ranger replied shortly "Come on!" Horace waited until Gilan was out of the room.

"So what did you do?" He asked Halt. Halt maintained his evil smile

"Sleep in and you'll find out." he invited, before slipping out of the room after Gilan. The two younger men looked at each other

"I'm never going to sleep late around Halt again." Horace decided and Will nodded in agreement. Then they both realized they were being left behind and scurried after Halt and Gilan.

Outside the sun was filtering through the leaves. Wolfpaw stood leaning against the balcony.

"Good morning." He said smiling. Gilan glared at him.

"There was no need to get us up so early." He said

"Just what are you accusing me of my friend?" Wolfpaw said, "I merely proposed your friends woke this early so that they could see the head quarters and training grounds in action." Gilan pointed a finger at him accusingly

"You know I don't like mornings, you enjoy watching me suffer."

"I seem to remember someone enjoying watching me suffer whilst i was in his country." Wolfpaw said "Now, are we going to stand arguing about the time or are we actually going to do something today?"

"Lead on." Halt said

**Thank you for reviewing, Tiptah52 and Willow Treaty! I'll write as fast as I can, but stupid school tests keep getting in the way. Wish they'd just test us on our ability to write stories instead of 'The benefits and disadvantages of tourism in an MEDC'.**

**Viridian was a little based on an Elvish tree city. Just because I absolutely love treetop cities and because it would actually make sense. If all your city was off the ground and you were used to fighting like that you'd have quite the advantage. The Guard uses this quite a lot, another reason they like staying beneath the trees.**

**In Horace's position... I would either not fight (because I'm a bit of a coward, and seeing Erak go down like that would SERIOUSLY de-moralise me) or try and attack as fast as possible. Hayate's style is more of a cautious, figure out strengths and weakness first, kind of style. A quick strike first... I think that's exactly what Horace did actually. Possibly a defensive strategy? If the person was quick and patient enough to block all of Hayate's strikes, and to wait for an opening they could win.**


	12. Chapter 12

"So this is our main office." The room was expansive. A large map covered the large oak table and another hung on one of the walls. A few Guard members moved about, clustered around the maps or rushing through looking harassed. Horace tried to keep a track of all the different masks, but they seemed endless and all unique. A bear, lynx, boar, the night sky, water… Wolfpaw smiled "Every mask is as different as the person beneath it. They express our personalities just as well, if not better."

"How?"

"The mask is designed for the person." Wolfpaw answered, "What the mask depicts reflects on their character or abilities, how much of the face is hidden and it's colour."

"How so?"

"My mask, for example. It covers three-quarters of my face, which could imply I hide my feelings from the world or have something to hide, or could imply that I value practicality so have my eyes and mouth free, but also value my safety, so the rest is protected. The wolf could suggest I am a lone wolf and free spirit or that I am a team player who puts the pack first. The grey of the wolf could mean I am ordinary, or that I am hiding my abilities."

"Wow." Horace said, "What does your mask mean?"

"I do not know." Wolfpaw answered "You would have to ask Hayate, he made it for me. It is traditional for your mentor to make the mask you wear."

"Do you have an apprentice now?" Gilan asked curiously

"No, too much hassle. They would slow me down, what about you?"

"Nah, haven't found anyone yet."

"What are the maps for?" Will asked

"We use them to monitor patrol routes, track outlanders who enter our forests and post the sentries." Wolfpaw said "They decide all our duties here, which is why I try not to annoy them too much."

"Wolfpaw, nanas fernin! Yugos tera na." The boar-masked Guard member said sharply. The boy in the falcon mask from the day before waved at them before turning back to the map.

"What did he say?" Halt asked. Wolfpaw hesitated

"Politely? Please leave, we are busy."

"Not politely?"

"Go away, we are doing actual work in here." Wolfpaw said "That thing about not annoying them? Well I cannot when Boarskull is involved. We have never got on."

"Who's the kid?"

"His apprentice, Falconheart. Do not ask me how he can stay so cheerful with that idiot around, it is a miracle."

"And what does his mask suggest?" Halt asked

"I am not his mentor, I would not know."

"Guess."

"That he is light and free. That nothing ties him down to this earth and that he is more than competent in using ropes to get around. He is innocent and open-hearted."

"What's with those masks?" Horace asked, pointing to a wall where seven hung "Are they off duty here?"

"They are off duty... permanently." Wolfpaw said quietly "That is where we commemorate the fallen. Good people. Good friends." He seemed to notice the change in mood "Let us move on to happier topics. You wished to see our training." They moved outside into the sunlight. The wooden platform extended further than normal here and several ropes led off it, forming a sort of aerial obstical course, like a spider's web of thick ropes, with a large net at the bottom.

He caught Horace's horrified look "Give it a go." He invited "It's perfectly safe. The worst that could happen would be to break a leg." Horace looked at him again

"He's teasing Horace." Gilan said smiling "The worst I've ever seen was a broken arm."

"That's not helpful." Horace said through gritted teeth.

"Come on, do you want to see the compound or not?" Wolfpaw asked "All joking aside, I picked this because it is this easiest way to get there. There's a net and steps up is you fall off."

"Can't we just use the stairs?" Horace pleaded

"Sure. But you'd have to jump off the ropes to reach them, and frankly I'd find that more terrifying."

"Fine." Horace said sighing. He looked back to Will "You're enjoying this aren't you?"

"Nope. It'd be mean to laugh when you're scared. I'll just make fun of you later." Will said grinning

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I'm real pleased you guys liked it. What Halt did to Gilan during his apprenticeship will remain unknown, unless you think you'd ever be able to convince a ranger to give up his secrets.**


	13. Chapter 13

**The italics are in Viridianish. Viridiani. Hm, need to come up with a name for the language. Struggled enough with naming the country. Seriously, if you have a suggestion for a better name for something or someone please tell me. Usually I just resort to translating random words to do with their character.**

The sound of wooden swords clashing was audible before the training area even came into sight. It was based in one of the larger trees with a multitude of tree huts poking out from its branches and ropes leading away from it. On one plateform teenagers were reciting ancient strategy poems in their own language while their one-eyed instructor watched grumpily, his small dark mask not hiding any of his displeasure as he interrupted a student yet again to correct their memory

_"'I have heard that in war, haste can be folly' Master Li. Not that I know that in war haste can be folly."_

Further down the tree, just above them, younger students were practising hand-to-hand combat, which would have been a serious class had it not been for their ridiculous boasting before each practise fight. It seemed that some of the twelve year olds had yet to embrace the silence and serious atmosphere of the adult population.

_"I am the greatest fighter who ever lived. Bow to the future Captain of the Guard, Dragonwind!"_

_"Wind is right! Fart of the Dragon! I am greater than mere wind, I am Stormking!"_ The two circled each other confidently, watched by their exasperated teacher.

_"Wolfpaw!"_ The trainee closest to the edge of the platform noticed their small group.

_"Wolfpaw!"_

_"It's Wolfpaw!"_ They abandoned their lesson and slid down the ropes and tree branches to surround the visitors.

_"Wolfpaw, who are these guys?"_

_"Are you coming to teach us Wolfpaw?"_

_"Wolfpaw, mentor me. Please!"_ Wolfpaw smiled at the kids

"These are the visiting Aruleans. Can you show them your language skills?" He asked

"Hello." One of the trainee girls said shyly. Thw others suddenly lost their shyness

"Oh, oh are you rangers? Leafwhisper said rangers were really stealthy and awesome. Better than him."

"Yeah, and Sparrowshot said you were great archers too! Does it take ages to become a ranger? It takes ages to become a Guard. I have been ready for a year!"

"I bet you couldn't beat Captain though."

"He's the best!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down now. Let them have room to breath." Wolfpaw interrupted. The students started to lose some of their energy, subsiding to whispers and grins "Do you mind if them ask you some questions?"

"Not at all." Will said easily

"Ooh! Is it true you can turn invisible?"

"Can rangers really seen dirty air where you have been breathing?"

"Do you have a top secret base?"

"One at a time." Wolfpaw reprimanded them. The little students fell silent.

"We don't turn invisible, we see tracks on the ground, not the air and if I told you we had a secret base I KNOW certain people won't rest until they find it." Gilan said. There were a few knowing smiles in the little group.

"How long do you train for?" Halt asked "And what weapons do the Guard specialise in?" He glance sideways to Wolfpaw, checking he should be asking questions back. The eyes behind the wolf blinked slightly in surprise as Wolfpaw took in the ranger's almost chameleon like way to immerse himself in different cultures. Juts the language and looks, Wolfpaw thought, or I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

"Ooh, ooh!" Halt looked at the sea of little hands. He pointed to a little girl who was positively jumping up and down "We train until one of the existing members is satisfied with our abilities and is ready to take us with them on their duties."

"But Wolfpaw's NEVER had an apprentice." One of the others said, turning pleading eye to the man "And he's been around since the beginning." The girl glared at him for interrupting before continuing.

"We specialise in whatever feels most comfortable with us. We try lots of different weapons in training and choose our favourite. Usual our mentor is someone with similar talents, but not always. We always thought Falconheart would be apprenticed to Sparrowshot, as they both use bows, but Boarskull uses spear and javelin."

"Sharasan, Wolfpaw." Hayate stood on one of the platforms. His mask glinted in the sun and he was leaning on a wooden sword. "Taking a tour as well?" He gestured behind him to the Iberion Princess and Skadian Oberjarl.

"Captain!" Wolfpaw said smiling. Hayate moved smoothly down the rope to land next to them

"Sharasan. It is nice to see you again."

**Hey! Sorry it took a while, but my mocks are finally over! Hopefully I'll be faster now. **

**And yes, Guest. Wolfpaw and Gilan are certainly going to have a sword fight, haven't decided who will win though. You guys want to choose?**


End file.
